After a long silence I'm back.
This time with a partially frustrating experience with 3D printings.

Henrik Laurell, a good friend of mine, asked me to make a C.A.D. drawing for printing some pieces for his 1/17 scale modelling.
So I did and after a while he sent me pictures showing the printed parts: a Roeban bogie, some Swedish axle-boxes and a mine tub.
Since 7/8ths is a kind of elephant scale, he was able to get his prints done in W.S.& F. (White, Strong & Flexible),
the cheapest material 'Shapeways' is offering.

Tempted by the pictures I decided it would be good to make a design a range of models to be printed and offered for sale,
through the clever mechanism 'Shapeways' is offering.

I had seen plenty of 3D printings and must say didn't expected too much.
Too often the traces of the printing process layering show shameless, but it seemed worth a try.

I started designed things and uploaded the drawings to 'Shapeways' website.
It took a couple of months to get the prints because they were going through an unexpected shortage of F.U.D. (Frosted Ultra Detail),
the only material convenient for small detailed prints.

One day the first prints arrived.
I was surprised to see almost no traces of the printing process where visible.
The only ones were not too noticeable and at the inside of a mine tub.
So I thought it would be OK and started producing a lot of drawings and ordering prints.
All in 1/34 scale 16.5mm gauge.

The first batch included something I wanted to have since many years,
the trapezoidal metal sleepers often seen in portable track.

'Shapeways' people are really great and I am not claiming they have done something wrong,
but the technology they are using has, for the time being, very clear boundaries.

Yes, I know: there are other companies that can guarantee perfect smooth 3D printings.
As far as I know that is known as Micro-Prototyping.
But they don't offer the possibility of selling things as they are ordered,
one would need to do a (for me) huge investment and order a stock of each item,
which would mean -certainly in these times- a too high risk.

So I've got frustrated and after a couple of days decided to simply enjoy what has left,
and started building some cosmetic portable track (the real one will come in a couple of days)

I took these pictures after giving the second layer of paint (using the salt method).
I intended to remove all salt but when I like a lot the heavy weathered dirty effect as is so I won't.

After this I've gave another two layers of subtle colour tone variations and finished it with touches of dry pastel,
but my camera refuse to upload more pictures to my computer so I can't post more pictures now.
I will do so once I have solved the problem.

Well, that is a bit of my first experience with 3D printing.

I am certainly not claiming 'Shapeways' for the fiasco.
They are great people and they just offer a specific service.
It is not their fault it doesn't fit my expectations.
I've been to one of their meetings here in Amsterdam and have seen incredible things made by other clients using their services.
But they were all huge printings in comparison.

Among other things I've seen scale figures (18cm tall) printed in full colour for a guy who is specializing on that.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing !
Not knowing they were already printed in colour I approached him to give my compliments for the refined paint work.
Then he explained there was no painting involved at all.
I asked him if it would be possible to downscale his figures and he said it is.
I will order one from him but I'm afraid the full colour material that looks so great in a figure 18cm tall,
will look terrible in an 1/32 figure.
We'll see.